Love, Patches
by Many Impossible Things
Summary: Joe Toye has always been her best friend-always. As the Second World War breaks out and she finds herself stuck, it appears that life doesn't care. (A twist on the woman winds up with Easy plot line...)-Temporary hiatus-
1. Joe & Audrey

_Summer, 1932_

"But, Angela, I just don't understand it! Why can't she find a girl to play with? You _need_ to do something about this. You're going to regret it if you don't. It's bad enough she insists on running around in _pants_ half of the time."

Angela Dashwood chuckled. It had never been a question in her mind whether or not her debutante mother would appreciate the spirited nature of her only child. Audrey was not a loud child, nor even a trying one. She had her moments, but the thing about Audrey was that she did what she wished. Once she made up her mind that was it. No words were said; she simply did it. If she wanted to borrow Joe's pants because they were easier to run around in, she did. If she wanted to play soldiers and Germans with Joe in the forest instead of with dolls, she did. If she wanted to run about the town as best friends with Joseph Toye, she did just that. And for the last five years, since the age of six, she had.

"Mother, I don't think we have much choice." She gazed fondly out the window to see her daughter and her best friend running after each other about the yard. The two women could hear their laughter through the open window and the occasional yell of 'Patches' and 'Toye Boy.'

"If we told Audrey that she and Joe couldn't be friends anymore, she'd be devastated for all of ten seconds. Then she'd get up and go see him anyway. You may not see it, mother, but she's just as stubborn as you are. Sometimes I wish that wasn't the quality she'd inherited from you, might I add. Besides that, Joe Toye is a nice boy. He's like the sibling she never had. What's the harm?"

Straightening up even more in her chair—if that possible with her already ramrod straight back and overly tightened corset—Mrs. Arlington sniffed into her coffee, "Still, it isn't right. What's going to happen when they get older? They're already too old to have one of the opposite sex for a best friend. She's going on, what, eleven in September? How old does that make him?"

"Thirteen, mother. And no, they are not too old. They've been friends for the last five years we've lived here. Henry works in the mines with Joe's father and Laura is one of the kindest neighbors I've ever had. The Toyes are good people and I must say it's rather nice that Audrey has someone her own age." Angela was beginning to get rather annoyed with this persistent conversation topic. It came up every time her mom came to visit and every visit Audrey disliked her grandmother more.

"You're going to regret it once he hits _that_ age, my dear." She raised an eyebrow knowingly over her cup of tea.

At that, Angela began to freely chuckle. The very idea that Joe Toye would do anything untoward to Audrey was beyond comical. Her mother apparently didn't know it, but there was nothing but brotherly and sisterly love coming from the two. Audrey never let a mean word be said about Joe without another ten to counter. Joe threatened to kill anyone who looked at Audrey the wrong way. Angela doubted that would change. While it would probably make her laugh if it happened, she doubted the two would ever fall in love with each other. Their love just wasn't like that.

"Mother, you can't see it, but they take care of each other. And not just through the small things, but through everything. While they were playing in the forest last week, Joe got a slash the length of his forearm and Audrey refused to leave his side. She just led him straight into the kitchen and started cleaning it. I swear she would've put the stitches in herself if that's what it had required! Mother, I'm not breaking the two up. Even if I tried, it wouldn't do any good."

Attempting a new avenue, ignoring very determinedly the fact her granddaughter had been touching that boy's bloody arm, Mrs. Arlington nodded toward the piano in the corner of the room, "And what does the amazing Joe Toye do for her music besides provide distraction? She is great, Angela. You know that. We can't let a boy get in the way."

"Nor would I ever let one. However, I am not going to force Audrey into becoming one of those poor children who are forced to sit at their instrument for hours every day until she hates it. When she practices, Joe sits on the floor beside and does his homework during the school year and in the summer he reads a book. She's even taught him a little."

"Is that going to continue to be how it is? If you'd push her she could be the next great prodigy. The school in Strasbourg has expressed interest after I sent them a letter, especially because she plays both piano and violin so very well. It would be better if she could sing, too," she continued on to herself.

Decidedly picking up the coffee pot and taking the dish from her mother's hand, Angela said firmly, "I would rather she be happy than great. Mother, she is _my_ daughter. Leave it be. If she wishes to pursue music when she is older and Strasbourg still wants her, we'll talk about it. Until then, she is my responsibility, not yours!"

Unaware of the tension in the room, a quiet, musical voice asked with dark blue eyes looking up at her, "Hi, mommy. Can Joe and I have a snack?"

Smiling at the sound, Angela turned and replied, "Of course, darling. There's some bread and peach jam in the kitchen. How is your arm today, Joe?"

In a similarly quiet voice that had just begun to change, the young man with hair far darker than Audrey's dark blonde and large brown eyes answered, "Much better, Mrs. Dashwood. The doctor said the cut will be fine. I'll have a scar, but he said he hardly had to rewrap it. Audrey's was top notch."

Smiling, the mother nodded, "Oh, I have no doubt. The look of determination on her face made sure of it. Go ahead and grab your snacks." Audrey, appearing to dread every moment of it, took the few steps toward her grandmother and gave her a clearly awkward hug before sprinting from the room.

_Winter 1935_

"Joe…? Joe, what're you doing?" Audrey tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out what she was looking at.

Freezing where he sat, Joe quickly shook his head from his eyes had been closed and made his hands hold the book in his lap instead of conduct absently. They hadn't just been doing that. Coughing quickly, he closed the book and ignored her question, "What was that? You've never played it before."

Grinning at the reddening of her best friend's cheeks, she replied, "It's Handel's 'Messiah'. It's catchy, isn't it?" He refused to look at her and she grinned. She'd seen him sitting there conducting with his hands, not reading a word of his homework. "Here, come on, we'll work on your "Für Elise" and _Rhapsody in Blue_ instead." She scooted over on the piano bench, making room for him.

Joe rose and sat beside her, elbowing her until she fell off to the floor for good measure. Laughing loudly, she got up and pushed him back. When they finally calmed down again to focus, she brushed her shoulder against his, "Joe, you'll always be my best friend, no matter what anyone says."

Smirking back at her, understanding the sincerity in her statement, he teased, "No one but me could put up with you, Patches."

Gasping, she punched him hard in the arm, "Speak of yourself, Toye Boy!"

She enforced his impromptu lesson with an iron fist for the next ten minutes until his _Rhapsody in Blue_ was flawless. He'd perfected Beethoven long ago. She was glad he shared at least a bit of her love and passion for music. It made her feel less guilty that she was spending so much more time on it lately, leaving him bored she suspected.

She didn't realize that Joe loved every minute of hearing her practice, whether it was piano or violin. She was incredible and it felt right just to stay with her. Who didn't want a radio without commercials?

Sighing and leaning against a dissonant chord, Joe stated, "Audrey, I think I'm going to quit school next year. I'll finish this one out, but I don't want keep going. I'll get a job at the mine. We need the money."

Looking at him quizzically, head tilted to the side so her long brown braid swung off her shoulder, Audrey questioned, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Now that he actually said it out loud when questioned, he felt sure. He also felt sure she would support him, an immensely good feeling.

"Okay. Can I bring you your lunch when I don't have school?!"

Laughing, Joe nodded, "Only if you pack good stuff in it and don't eat it."

Pressing a hand to her emotionally wounded heart, she declared, "Would I do that to you?!"

He didn't think a second before answering, "Yes, you fucking would!" She just grinned, not denying it as she turned back to the piano. Joe knew her too well, just like she knew him too well.

_Autumn 1936_

"Joe, what's this part do?"

Looking over with clear preoccupation, a seventeen-year-old Joe replied, "That's the alternator. It deals with all the electrical stuff. Give me a wrench." Frowning with amused exasperation, he handed what he'd just been given right back. He did not need the biggest wrench he owned. Voice level as always, he continued, "A smaller one, please, Patches."

Laughing, she did as he asked before leaning back over the engine of the Toyes' vehicle. Joe was convinced he knew how to fix it, explaining why they'd been banging and pounding on the poor metal for the last two hours. Audrey didn't know much about cars, but there were just so many parts, she had to know. Curiosity was a fatal flaw with her.

Despite how she liked to tease him about his mechanical talents, the lengthiness of their task was due more to her incessant questions than Joe's competence. Smiling again, anticipating the annoyed sigh that was about to come, she queried, "What's that one?"

_Sigh_.

Leaning over to look in the direction she was, Joe answered, "The battery, you numbskull. Go get me a sandwich."

"You just ate. You can't be hungry again. Besides, you can get your own damn sandwich. How about that one?"

"The carburetor."

"What's it do?"

"It lets air mix with the fuel so it'll ignite when the sparkplug sparks in the piston. Flathead screwdriver, Patches."

"Yes, sir, Captain Toye Boy." Raising an eyebrow at her amused sass, he just shook his head. Sometimes being Audrey's best friend was very trying.

He loved her anyway.

_Late Summer 1937_

Joe frowned as he came up out of the mine at the whistle to find Audrey collapsed onto the ground, sobbing her heart out into her dark blue skirt. As Henry Dashwood's daughter and Joe's best friend, she was known to almost everyone at the mine and a small circle of confused workers had gathered around her. It appeared they hadn't gotten a word out of her, though.

They let Joe through without a word and he knelt beside her, squeezing her shoulder, "Patches…?" He was greeted with another hiccupping sob that seemed to come all the way from her toes. Glancing down at them, he found her feet bare, black, and the hell was going on?

"Audrey, what's the matter? Where are your shoes?"

She just looked up at him and continued crying. He was more than a bit perturbed by then. Audrey was a teenage girl, but she didn't cry that much. He could count the number of times on one hand. She just refused to let life make her cry. She tried too damn hard to make things good. On the rare occasion she did, she hid away from anything alive and breathing that wasn't her mother or him. He immediately wondered what truly terrible thing had happened to cause this very public sobbing.

Kneeling down, Joe hugged her tightly and queried, "Patches, what happened?"

Cinching her arms around his neck, Audrey buried her face into his chest but said nothing. While she didn't cry often, when she did she was a blubbering, talking mess and he always knew exactly what was wrong. This silence was scaring him. Hesitantly, he tried, "Do I need to beat somebody up?"

She gave a watery laugh at that which came out with more pain than humor before shaking her head, "No…" Face dissolving into one of extreme grief, she choked out, "Joe, my-my parents just died."

He jerked back and held her at arms' length, "What?!"

Breaking down anew, she nodded. Despite words and thoughts and worries running through her mind a mile a minute, they only came out as stunted pieces of an explanation. "They took the car. There was a truck... The sheriff was waiting outside the house when I got home from school. My shoes are at home. I ran here. It was a long way… Joe…they're dead."

"Shit, Patches, I'm so sorry." Joe pulled her close again, for a long moment at a loss for what to say, something that hadn't happened in the ten years they had been best friends.

Sensing this, Audrey's muffled voice came out of his shirt, "Don't say anything, Joe. Just stay with me. I just need someone to stay."

"Okay."

_Winter 1937_

"What do you mean you're leaving?"

Joe stared at Audrey in shock, disbelief engraved into his expression. He'd wondered what she was going to spring on him when he came home from the mines that day to find her sitting in the snow on the front steps in her coat and a pair of his boots. Audrey was a wimp when it came to cold. He saw the way her fingers began to twitch, needing an instrument in her nervous state, when she didn't answer right away.

Her sentences were short, almost like she hadn't processed the information yet either, when she finally said, "My grandma came today. She's my guardian now. She's making me go to the music school in France. She wants me to be a female Mozart."

"You hate Mozart. You like Beethoven better," he protested, not completely grasping much else to protest to yet.

A smile broke through her tears, "So do you."

Everything was silent for a long moment, the snow falling silently about them. Joe was still wrapping his head around it. How could she be leaving? The longest they were ever apart was the nine hours a day he worked. For the past four months, the time apart when they slept had even gone away. She'd been sleeping in his room, in her old bed they'd dragged across the yard together, with him ever since her parents died. She insisted that he wake her up when he left for work at 4am so she wouldn't wake up alone. At the beginning, she'd refused to let go of his hand when she fell asleep at night, their arms simply spanned the distance between them.

Her leaving felt like he was losing that arm. It was like he was losing a part of him. How was he supposed to do that?

As he didn't answer, Audrey felt her heart sink even more. She stepped forward and hugged him, leaning her head against his chest where her height allowed. "Joe," she whispered, "I don't want to go. I want to stay."

Returning the hug, Joe replied more heatedly, "Then, stay. Don't go to Strasbourg."

"I can't. Grandma has legal custody of me. She's got my boat ticket already. I've already been accepted to the school. She says term starts the end of January." Her sentences were still painfully blunt, her shock stripping her of any of the small amount of eloquence she usually had.

"You'll come back, won't you?"

She squeezed harder, "The minute I turn eighteen and have the money… You won't get married without me, will you?"

Snorting loudly, flicking the back of her head affectionately, "Who am I going to marry? I won't know if she's going to be an old hag in a year without you. Get married without you," he rolled his eyes.

Smiling again, she smacked his arm, "Hey, it's a fair request!"

Wrapping a dirty, coal dust-covered arm around her shoulders, Joe kissed her temple, "Come on, Audrey, before you freeze. You pansy."

Smacking him in the gut, making him gasp, she grinned, "No, I always imagined myself more of a bright yellow iris, happy and laid back."

Catching his breath, Joe snorted, "No, Patches, you're a really deep red rose: dark, beautiful, and with plenty of thorns." She laughed at that and kissed him on the cheek. He had her there.

"You're still not getting married without me."

_January 1938_

Audrey finally stopped staring at her shoes as Mrs. Toye gathered her into one final hug. Laura Toye had become the finest surrogate mother a girl could ever hope for, far beyond what Audrey could've asked for. The Toyes had become her family without a second thought of the money or the difficulties it might present. Audrey loved them for it more than she could express.

Mr. Toye was next in line, telling her during a fatherly embrace that if she ever needed anything they were going to be waiting for her at home.

She didn't wait for him to say anything before she just wrapped her arms around Joe's neck and held on tight, not allowing herself to cry. He hadn't said a word all day and neither had she. It had been painfully silent, despite the quiet natures of them both. Everything was changing too quickly. She wanted to cling to Joe and the life she loved for as long as possible.

She buried herself in the black fabric of his jacket and how it smelled like coal and the silly cologne he wore when he went on dates or somewhere important. It smelled good; she just enjoyed making fun of him for it. To be honest, she was flattered he considered showing her off important enough for cologne. She could feel the stubble he hadn't shaved off yet against her cheek. She remembered teasing him about it when he first started having facial hair. He'd been worse the first time he'd seen her wear make-up.

So much of her life had had Joe beside her to experience it. She'd just lost her parents. Audrey was far from sure she could handle losing him, too. It felt like her heart had already been ripped in two and now it was being smashed into tinier pieces.

Joe pulled away, staring at his feet and refusing to look at her as he pulled something out of his jacket. "Here, I got this for you. That music teacher at school helped…"

With shaking hands, she relieved his grip of a folder of music entitled in his handwriting "The Joe Toye Collection." She flipped it open to find the inside cover held a table of contents. All of her favorite pieces for piano and violin were there. Moonlight Sonata, Claire de Lune, Rhapsody in Blue, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Bach were all there, waiting for her to play and love. Sitting in the back was also a hardbound book with a dark blue cover. She looked at the spine and found that it read _Sense & Sensibility_.

Joe's eyes stayed firmly on his feet when he mumbled in explanation, "The girls in it have your last name. I thought you might like it."

Ignoring the whistling of the train and the irritated admonishments of her grandmother, Audrey just smiled up at her best friend, content to make the moment last as long as humanly possible. Sensing her gaze, he looked up to return her smile. "I'm gonna miss you, Patches."

Hugging him again, she breathed, "I love you, Joe." It was true but she wasn't sure she'd ever actually said it. Joe was her best friend and she loved him like a brother. Now was the last time in a long time she'd get to say it. She'd never felt so sure of doing a thing in her life.

Not hesitating for a moment, he replied, "I love you, too, Audrey."

Audrey's gaze was still drawn back to the platform as the train rounded a corner and was cut off from view of her home. The Toyes were gone but she kept her nose pressed against the cold glass, unable to let them go quite yet. Her music and book were clutched in her mitten-clad hand, gripping them like a lifeline. They lay on the green fabric of her skirt in her lap, apparently unaware of their significance.

Mrs. Arlington leaned forward after the first ten miles of awkward silence and grabbed for the folder, "What music did that _boy_ give you, Audrey? Anything decent?"

Immediately pulled from her trance, Audrey snatched the folder back from her grandmother's searching hands, only just keeping herself from slapping them. "It's none of your business," she said with coldly.

Perturbed by that rudeness, Jennifer sat stiffly back in her seat. If Audrey was going to be ungrateful for this opportunity, then she wasn't going to extend any pleasantries, either. "You're going to have to forget all about that boy, girl. I don't care how in love with him you are. You'll probably never see him again. You're going to make something of yourself if it kills me and he's going to go nowhere but back to that mine. Think about that."

Unable to hold back a smile that reminded the grandmother spookily of her daughter, Audrey just looked at her, "Any woman in the world would be lucky to have Joe Toye love her. He's the best man I know. But, I'm not in love with him. He's my best friend. There's a difference." The young woman appeared prepared to say much, much more but, sighing, just rolled her eyes and looked back out the window.

How could she not understand? How had everything gotten so sideways? What was the point in trying to talk to this woman who apparently didn't really know her at all?

The rest of the train ride was quiet as a tomb, as were the cab, hotel stay, and ride to the boat. Audrey was too sad and her grandmother was too sure she was right to allow herself to be swayed by anything. Audrey could only lift her hand in a wave to her grandmother as she sailed away from everything and everyone she'd ever known.

* * *

A/N: Hello there everyone!

First of all, I own nothing, etc, etc, etc.

Secondly, to be completely honest, I probably shouldn't even be putting this story up. I don't have a whole lot of plot ideas or semantics figured out. All I have is a character idea and a couple of scenes that just won't leave me alone. I've written Band of Brothers fics before, but I was much younger and they always turned out Mary-Sues. I'm hoping to change that with this one, but I'll just admit upfront that I haven't the faintest idea on update consistency or anything. Reviews always manage to give me a kick where I need it, so maybe it'll pick up. :)

So, let me know if you have any ideas at all. I'd love to hear them! Thanks for reading, and I hope you stick with me and enjoy. :)


	2. Strasbourg, 1939

__Hello there! So, here is chapter two. As of right now, this is what I've got. There is some German thrown in here and probably will be here and there for the remainder of the story. At the moment, it's fairly basic and sounds like English, but I'll put the translations at the end anyway. :) I'd love to get any feedback I can. Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoy. :)

* * *

_September 1, 1939_

_Strasbourg, France_

_Dear Toye Boy,_

_I hope this letter finds you well, happy, and still missing me terribly, because I'm selfish that way. Hug your mom for me. I miss her cooking very much over here. I'm always full unlike at home, but they eat some highly questionable dishes here. Let your dad know I miss him, too. I know you won't hug him so I still won't ask. If you've acquired a girlfriend, tell her that before she can hope for a ring, she has to go through me. No exceptions._

_I miss you so much it hurts sometimes. I know it sounds stupid, especially since I've been gone for over a year, but I don't know what to do without you. I've probably complained to you about this all before, but it's still true. The only time I really feel right is when I'm playing. People are kind but there's no Joe… It really doesn't matter how much I like it here. Everyday something happens that I instinctively turn to tell you and you're not there. The other students here tease me because they think I'm in love with you. They don't understand you're my best friend. If nothing else, that makes me laugh. I love you, but I can't imagine us ever being in love. It would be like marrying my brother, an action I always remind my classmates is illegal here, too._

_It occurs to me that I've never really told you much about Strasbourg—I was too busy unloading my mountain of woes onto you. Well, everything anyone ever told you about the French is true. They hate anyone who doesn't speak French—i.e. __me__. Although, there aren't just French people here. Strasbourg is a mixture between French and German, being right on the border. Alsatian is the correct term. German is much easier to pick up than French, too. For as much as we were told to hate the Germans after the Great War, the ones here are really quite nice. It seems that Germany has been having a rough time of it the last ten years, too. The one thing everyone is talking about now, though, is how Hitler—the German dictator, although I'm sure you knew that—marched in and took over Austria. No one is quite sure what it means for the rest of the countries. They tell us not to worry about it so I try not to. I have the feeling that no good can come of any of this, though. Many of the more political-minded here are getting very antsy._

_As much as I hate to admit it, I do actually like it here. I've adjusted that much. The city is beautiful. You wouldn't believe it if I showed you pictures. It feels like I'm living in one of my old fairy tale books with the castles and spires and medieval houses. Even after all this time, it awes me._

_My teacher, Dr. Smith, is British so I do have someone else I can communicate with. He's been trying to help me with my languages but says I'll never be rid of my accent. I have to agree with him. Every time I go out and try out my German or French, people look straight at me and ask "Amerikanerin?" It appears I'm wearing a sign or something. Dr. Smith says I have too much of an accent for it not to be noticed. I don't know what he's talking about. He's the one that talks funny! It's odd to be so far away from everything and everyone I know… I don't think I'd make a very good gypsy. I miss my roots too much. _

_I love the music though. Dr. Smith is very talented and so are the other professors. Dr. Smith is my piano teacher. His one flaw is that he's in love with Mozart. I have nothing against the man, but can't he see that Ludwig is better? Oh, and don't worry, you don't need to hurt him. He'd about fifty, so nothing to worry about. My violin teacher is a French woman. I refer to her as Madame Bonior, but other than my name I never really understand a word she says. Everything she says sounds pretty but never makes any sense. She dislikes me. From what I can infer from her tone of voice and the few French expletives I've picked up, I'm too hardheaded and don't look at the music enough. I make up too much on my own. I'd prefer to call it being creative and feeling the music, but whatever she says. I've come to prefer the piano anyway._

_You should be very proud of me. I've gotten through all the music in The Joe Toye Collection. I have to say that with all the fundamentals Dr. Smith has me doing for the last year that music was a _godsend_. It helps me feel like you're with me, I think. Given that, I hope you haven't given up piano completely. I know you don't love it as much as me, but I promise you really are very good. Your _Rhapsody in Blue_ kills mine every time. You're jazzier than me, I guess._

_I do hope my letters are reaching you. I've written four already this year and received none in return, so perhaps the mail across the ocean is slower than it was last year. All this tension probably has something to do with it. People look for Nazi spies in their sleep here. I'm still not entirely sure what a Nazi is, but Dr. Smith speaks of them often. He's very political. As far as I can tell, a Nazi is one of the political parties in Germany and is currently in charge. Hitler is a Nazi. Many people in England do not agree with their viewpoint on things, especially foreign relations. They have something against the Jews, though. I really don't understand their problem, but many around here seem to agree. I never really cared what religion a person was as long as they were kind to me. Every Jew I've met is just like every other person. They blame them for the depression here, but that can't be right. How can a religion cause a depression? I think people are just scared and need someone to blame. It's really rather stupid. There's a gorgeous synagogue here that I went to see one weekend. The French here in Strasbourg appear not to care about Hitler. I think that the town is so close to Germany, they feel that nothing bad can really happen. I'll pray for that. Sometimes it feels like I'm learning more about politics than music here…_

_Oh! Also, I went on a visit to Switzerland with a few of my friends here. They are both German so they speak the language. Karl and Else are very kind and don't laugh at my horrible pronunciations too much. She is a vocal student. She's been insisting I learn with her. Apparently, she feels better when she's working with someone. She learns better when she has to teach. So, I can actually sing on key a little now. You'll be very surprised when you hear it! She insists I'd make a better singer than musician, but I don't believe her. I'm far better than I was, but I'm no Billie Holiday. Else is just too nice. Karl is a nice guy, a bit loud, but nice. He's going to go home and join the German army soon, though._

_Anyway, we went to Switzerland and while we were there I remembered that I'm not going to be around for Christmas again. Seeing that I don't know how long the post takes anymore, I'm sending it to you now. Do NOT open it before Christmas or I will find out and make your life as miserable as possible as I can from across an ocean... I figured you could use them on your many adventures. I know how long you've wanted a pair._

_As always, I miss you and still refuse to let you get married without me._

_Much Love,_

_Audrey_

__After a short moment, she shook her head and crossed out her name, replacing it with the one he'd dubbed her with almost ten years earlier:

_ Patches_

After proofreading for a few more moments, she folded up the letter she'd written the day prior and placed it carefully in its envelope before attaching it to the box containing Joe's presents. Slipping on her shoes and coat, Audrey made her way out of the dormitories so she could reach the post before the first buses began to leave. The streets were unsurprisingly already crowded, but being one of the few without all her belongings stuffed in a suitcase of some kind, Audrey maneuvered her way speedily. She always tried her best to get there early so the post was sure to go out that day. It was even more imperative that day than most.

Whether it would make a difference or not, she had no idea but she felt better for trying. It had been so long since she'd seen Joe, she did everything she possibly could to be the slightest bit closer to him. She missed him more than any word she knew could really express. Most of what she'd written him was a load of crock. Everything about missing him was heartfelt but woefully inaccurate. Her friends were real. Else was waiting for her back at her room, suitcase likely in hand so they could leave. But, Audrey knew exactly what was going on with Germany and France and all the tension. She knew that something bad was going to happen and she had the horrible feeling it was going to be soon. She also had the sinking feeling that bad thing was going to be another war…

She just didn't have the heart to tell Joe about her fears. Perhaps if he were still just a few feet away, just an arm's reach in the darkness when she woke up alone at night, just moments away from the looks they shared in which they conversed, but he wasn't. Joe wasn't there. She'd left him.

She was pushed, prodded, and jostled all the way to the post where the postman stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. He demanded in German when he saw the address, "_Was denken Sie?"_

Frowning, she demanded in her growing but still limited vocabulary, "_Was?_" Just because they were evacuating didn't mean France was going to be shut off from England where the letter would cross over to a boat for America.

Rolling his eyes, "_Die Stadt ist evakuiert! Gehen Sie nach Haus!"_

"_Ich weiss! __Ich gehe!" _Sighing against the foul mood that was beginning to creep up on her, she tightened her coat about her and walked from the office. She had to do something. She couldn't evacuate the city without at least trying to send something to Joe.

Shaking his head again, the harried postman put her letter in his bag, already filled with hurried notes to loved ones around France.

As she hurried back towards the half empty school, she prayed her little letter would reach England and then be put on the boat for America to her friend. If the entire city was evacuating then it needed all the help the little thing could get.

* * *

__Translation Time:

_Was denken Sie? _- What are you thinking?

_Was? - _What?

_Die Stadt ist evakuiert! Gehen Sie nach Haus! _- The city is evacuating. Go home.

_Ich weiss! Ich gehe! _- I know. I'm going.


End file.
